Breivik’s Qutb

Al Qaeda leaders such as Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and Anwar al-Awlaki fell under the spell of the prolific Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood author Sayyid Qutb who called for Islamic fundamentalism, holy war, and martyrdom. Oslo shooter-bomber Anders Behring Breivik apparently had his own Qutb, who grease the skids to his attacks on civilians. At American Prospect, Adam Serwer writes that

Walid Shoebat, a “terrorism expert” with a dubious background who was paid by the U.S. government to train law enforcement in counterterrorism, is … cited in the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik … more than 15 times. Brevik cites Shoebat to support his arguments that immigration from Muslim countries threatens the West.

There will be those on the left who will ask where is the sorrow and wringing of hands when Muslim children are killed both by the Taliban and U.S.-NATO forces in Afghanistan. Like Sunday, when a British helicopter gunship wounded five children for the crime, according to the Telegraph, of “working in a field close to ‘positively identified insurgents.”

Of course, the attack on the Utoya youth camp approached Beslan proportions. Aside from that, out of respect for the dead, now is not the time to guilt-trip those who ignore the deaths of Muslim children. Especially since, in the United States anyway, it’s only natural to sympathize with Norwegians since, in the 1800s, many of them emigrated to the United States and helped settle the heartland.

Of course, the real insult to Muslims was on the part of those in the media who jumped to the conclusion that it was an attack by Muslims extremists. Which brings us to the question of why, if he were opposed to Muslim immigration and “multiculturalism,” he didn’t attack Muslims. I’m sure it’s hidden in his manifesto but I’ll leave poring over it to those with stronger stomachs.

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We sniff out issues hiding in the foreign-policy forest and haul them back to the laboratory for inspection. We examine the anterior, posterior, and underside of an issue, as well as its shadows.

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